If you want to make peace you don't talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies.

-Moshe Dayan

The title The Dark Knight is very important. The first re-boot of Batman released in 2005 featuring Christian Bale as Batman laid foundation for what was to come in the new franchise through it's gritty realism in the style of Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns.  Frank Miller wrote The Dark Knight Returns storyline in 1986 with absolute acclaim by readers and critics everywhere. It was more of a 'mature' audience read than other Batman comics.  For many avid Batman readers the Dark Knight series marked the harshest version of Batman that could be read.     This 2008 movie The Dark Knight is not at all the based on the 1986 Frank Miller story.  The similarities end with the style, but are none-the-less every reason for the Batman we know today.     The Batman we see now in both Batman Begins and The Dark Knight are a brave step by DC to represent Batman at his most real and most serious.  

What is it that makes the character Batman appealing in the first place?   When it comes to graphic novel (comic book) characters or heroic characters in general it comes down to him having no super-powers.  None, nada, neinte, ZERO. So how do you make a super-hero movie with a super-hero that has no super powers?  The answer is everything must be as close to plausible as possible in order for the movie goer to suspend disbelief.  This is the foundation of director Chris Nolan's approach to re-starting the Batman franchise on the big screen.

The Dark Knight is perhaps the best superhero movie made to date, yet it does have flaws.  Maggie Gyllenhaal is perhaps one.  While Gyllenhaal is a more realistic choice and less distracting assistant District Attorney she is only an  acceptable love interest because the character is a childhood friend of Bruce Wayne's.  Gyllenhaal has great acting ability of course, I loved her in Secretary but she is not a starlet I see as a love interest worthy of Batman.  

Not so many years ago Batman's Bruce Wayne character was played with the best edge by of all people comedian Michael Keaton.   Perhaps Val Kilmer was the best tragically wounded Batman, yet Christian Bale has met all sides of Batman with a quality few others will match.  If there is any criticism I have of Christian Bale's Batman it is how he speaks as Batman in his horse angry tone.  His Dark Knight is only dark and one dimensional.  I don't get a sense of feeling other than anger when Batman speaks.  

Meanwhile the late Heath Ledger tapped into Mark Hammel's animated Joker with the true character of the Joker that comic book readers have been waiting to see on screen for years. Heath Ledger's Joker is stellar on every level.  It is not that Heath Ledger brought something to the Joker character as much as he plays the character in the manner in which he truly is throughout the graphic novel versions that Batman readers know.  The Joker is a genius psychotic.  Ledger's Joker will have you laughing and horrified within seconds.  Ledger's timing is impeccable as he interacts with other characters in the Gotham underworld.   Only once during the film (and this was during my second screening) did I try and see through the acting to the actor and that was only because the hype prior to the films release of Ledger's death had me thinking about it.  Another realistic feature of this Batman film is that they don't kill off key villains.  True to the real Batman he catches them and sends them to Arkham.   With the continuation of the Joker, Heath Ledger will be sorely missed.  One day when another Joker makes a play... there will be wild speculation of who can fill Heath Ledger's shoes.  There will be great anticipation if anyone can pull it off.